Impact The of Colonialism on Sub-Saharan Africa
Colonialism was the idea that colonies were beneficial to any great nation. It's focus was to help the nation and not the colonies themselves. Exploitation of the colonies is very common. The colonial nations categorized the African tribes which created tension. The nations used the division of Africans to use the "rich to tax the poor, to police migrants, and assemble labor... tribalization of Africa... worsened our divisions and destroyed our common ground." The impact of colonization were mostly negative and affected Sub Saharan Africa in a devastating way. Some of the worst effects of colonialism in sub-Saharan Africa is that in the beginning, economic development modified to benefit the colonizing nation itself. Such as "turning food-producing areas into commercial plantations." The nations took the export crops and they subjected Africa to total dependence on Europe by using a one crop system of farming. The colonizing nations also forced indigenous people to work for small wages to pay taxes imposed by the colonial authorities. The nations also implemented inappropriate technologies and coastal states in Africa rose in power while the inner states lagged behind. African Few states of them have been able to have a democratic government, and many of them eventually led to a series of takeovers or coups, which produced military dictatorships. A lot of Africa's current political leaders were military generals who were poorly educated and uneducated on matters of ruling a state. A lot of African states can no longer
There is also a case of rising death rates as cases of AIDS increase every year. Only states like Uganda are able to control the cases of AIDS while all the other African states are struggling with it. Also trade is directed toward the colonizing states which diminish local regional complementarities. The nations that colonized Africa decapitated Africa's ability to currently govern themselves. Because of harsh ruling and exploitation, Sub-Saharan Africa have failed democratic institutions that are usually led by dictatorships. Its dependency on other nations is crippling its worth; all because its roots are so embedded upon colonization.
List of References: Books: H. j. de Blij and P. O. Muller, Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts, 13th ed., John Wiley, 2008. Internet Sites: "Africa." Wikipedia March 20 2008. March 23, 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa>.